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Author
Topic: "colitis" Anyone? "UPDATE" (Read 4694 times)

Several weeks ago I started having serious diarrhea. At first I thought I just had a bug that was going around but after a few days it seemed to be getting worse instead of better. I then called my HIV doc's office and spoke with one of his nurses expecting that she would tell me I needed to come in. Instead she told me to give it another day or so and if it had not stopped I should make an appointment with my GP doctor. It showed no signs of stopping so I called and made the appointment but they could not get me in for almost another two weeks even tho I explained to her what was going on. She told me to just drink plenty of fluids but if I felt I was getting dehydrated to go to the emergency room. I made it okay until the appointment only to have the doctor tell me I needed to make an appointment with a digestive specialist.

I made the appointment and was able to see him within a couple days. He ordered stool testing, hope I NEVER have to do that again, and told me to come back in two weeks. When I went back he had gotten the results of all the test but two and said they did not show up any thing so he wanted to do a colonoscopy, which he did this past Tuesday. Before I left the hospital he told me my colon was very red and that he took biopsies. He said he thought it was colitis and for me to come back to his office on Friday and he should have the results of the biopsies and the other two stool test.

I was just curious if anyone here has ever had colitis and have any suggestions or advice that might be helpful to me. I have heard of it but I confess I do not know anything about it.

I am NOT a Dr, so i cannot give you advice but i will only tell you what happened to me

When i first got diagnosed i had diarrhea for a month and a half. I got all tests done and nothing... no bugs. I understood later the virus kills the intestinal flora. I got prescribed some pills to stop diarrhea (by Dr) and advised to drink lactobacillus to re-flourish the intestine (by a poz friend). It helped me to stop it. it happened again a month and a half later but this time only lasted one week because i was more proactive with it. And since then... i am doing pretty fine.

I would say try to stop the diarrhea asap. It is not good for us.

If you think it is needed, talk to your Dr (not the nurses) by phone and ask him to suggest you something to stop diarrhea.

Hey Juan, First let me say it is nice to meet you via cyber space, You are new to me since I am not on the site so much these days due to complications.

To try and answer your questions,Yes, I still have very active diarrhea. I have not been on treatment in almost 3 years for financial reasons. I do know that diarrhea is not so uncommon for those on meds, even tho it was never a side effect I had while on treatment. Nausea yes, diarrhea no. I do not know about everywhere but around my area, they will not let you speak with the doctor. You are lucky if you can speak with his nurse and she might tell you she will speak with the doctor and call you back but most times they want you to make an appointment so they can charge you for a visit. They have only suggested Imodium, which I have taken on occasion but it only slows the diarrhea and makes me cramp with extreme pain. I find it better to just drink plenty of fluids and watch my diet and let the shit go..lol The doc who has done the testing did give me some Flora-Q tablets which I take daily.

thunter,Thanks for the Cheer! I always smile when I see that pretty face of yours.

Iggy, yeah, it sucks how it works around here. They tell you to go to the emergency room if you cannot wait to see the doctor and the emergency room , after hours of waiting, tell you to make an appointment to see your doctor.

Thanks Guys for the support and I will let you know as soon as I know more.

Sorry to hear about this latest problem you are having. I've experienced colitis twice, though it's been quite some while. I do remember I had additional symptoms, severe abdominal pain and a low fever.

As far as treatment, if I remember right, I was given anitbiotics and some sort of anti-inflamatory medicine (steroid?). I also had to drastically alter my diet (no coffee or soda pop, less carbs, liquor, and I think dairy)

I'm sorry to hear about your problem with the GI's... first... my dog has colitis... colitis is the inflammation of the large intestine... now your doctor will have to run tests to see if its parasitic, lack of blood flow, diet, infection etc... so many factors... try google on your computer... lots of information about the subject listed... check with the body... great site for hiv questions and answers... www.thebody.com plus alot of advice on what to do from others whov'e been in the same situation... just read through the index... alot of information is available... I hope you find the solutions needed...

Oh dear. Colitis. Matty the Damned has heard of it and knows that it can be a very serious condition. Essentially "colitis" is an inflammation of the the large intestine (particularly the lining) and can be caused by a range of things.

Infectious diseases, chemicals, allergies, parasites, auto-immune disorders and in many cases causes unknown can be responsible for this inflammation.

As you would know it's a painful, debilitating disorder. Treatments will vary according to the cause and it's very important that you're monitored carefully. It's possible to develop "ulcerative colitis" which can require surgical intervention with all the misery and complications that accompany such procedures.

Remember, these are just things that can happen. Matty's not saying they will. For many people, colitis resolves spontaneously.

Sweetie, it's just been a shit of a year for you hasn't it? For what it's worth, I think you often baby.

Matty pretty much said it all, so I have no extra words of wisdom for you, but please, while you are waiting to have this awful problem solved keep up your fluid intake, and stay away from foods that have a high fat content.

Thanks Rab for the info, it is very helpful and I appreciate you sharing with me. I always feel special when I hear from you.

Dearest Dan, Thanks, yeah, I know you can relate to the drill of how it goes..lol I know you are dealing with battles of your own right now and I wish you the very best. I admire your courage, I have worked collections before and I know how horrible it can be. Know you are an inspiration to me to make things better.

Dixieman, Thanks for the information, I will certainly check it out.

My Man Matty, I hear you loud and clear and will not assume anything until I know for sure but will be cautious."For what it is worth" it means the world to me that you think of me often. Mikey, thinks Matty is the cream of the crop and want hear nothing bad about him..

Hey Alan, Thanks buddy, I hope it will be an easy fix that antibiotics will help. I know a change in diet will most likely be a must.

Dearest Jan, I know you have been having a difficult time yourself and yet you give of your time to help others. You are such an amazing woman and I have nothing but total Love and Respect for You!

Sorry to hear they didn't get to the bottom (pardon the pun) of your dire-rear. I've dealt with this little pain in the ass for years now and I've also had all those assorted tests come up negative. We figure it's just the damned hiv doing it to me. I use a low, daily dose of codeine to slow my intestines down and it really does help, without making me feel bloated or constipated. Generic codeine can be had very cheaply and you might want to look into this. Talk to your doc about it.

There is also a drug called pancrecarb that some forum members have had a lot of success with. My doctor is looking into it for me as they don't seem to use it for this purpose here. You can read more about the subject of dire-rear and pancrecarb in this thread.

In the meantime, hang in there mate. Get yourself some unscented baby wipes - they'll help keep you from getting sore from all that wiping. Yep, that's the voice of experience speaking. They really do make a big difference.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts